headstone scam

Police seek man charged headstone scam, seek other victims

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Government

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with two counts of felony theft for duping grieving people out of money they gave him to create a headstone for loved ones. New Castle County Police are seeking him — and any other victims who may have been scammed by him, because they suspect there are more than they know. Gregory Stefan, 54, …

gavel rapist

Brandywine Park rapist Bryron Mayhan convicted on 22 charges

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A New Castle man convicted of 10 counts of rape, among 22 charges, faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five life sentences, plus 175 years at sentencing in early 2024. Byron Mayhan, 39, described by the Department of Justice as a habitual offender, was convicted Nov. 13 for his May 29, 2020, attack on a woman running in Brandywine Park. …

gang prosecution MSG

4-year gang prosecution ends with 100% conviction rate

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Twenty people have been convicted on charges of murder, shooting and other felonies following a four-year prosecution of a Wilmington gang that resulted in a 100% conviction rate. The push helped reduce the number of shootings in Delaware 30% since 2020, according to a statement from the Delaware Department of Justice. In essence, the press release said, the Wilmington Police …

kicking

NC police issue warning about TikTok door kicking challenge

Staff WriterCulture, Headlines

New County Police are warning home owners about a new TikTok youthquake trend: kicking the front doors of houses and running. the police said they are investigating three incidents in Brennan Estate Townhouses that involved someone kicking residential doors. On July 12, the door to one occupied home was kicked in, causing damage. The police division said in a press …

theft

New worry: ‘Crime tourists’ who target expensive homes for thefts

Betsy PriceCulture, Headlines

Leaving home? Keep it to yourself. In the modern turmoil of daily life, there’s another worry: South American Theft Groups who target upscale homes. The New Castle County Division of Police and other law enforcement partners are warning Delaware residents about a nationwide trend of residential burglaries by groups known as “South American Theft Groups” or “Crime Tourists,” according to …

secret bunker

Wife of Bear man who built secret bunker goes to jail, too

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Government

The wife of a Bear man who built a secret underground bunker to grow marijuana may not be able to go to jail with him, but she’s going. Shakira Martinez has been sentenced in federal court to nine years in prison for money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and structuring bank transactions following a jury verdict in July of …

ellerbe Police arrest man for 2015 murder

Wilmington crime report: Murders, shootings down in 2022

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

The number of murders in Wilmington was at its lowest for 15 years in 2022, and the number of shootings was the second lowest in 17 years, according to a new report issued by Delaware’s largest city. Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and lame duck Chief of Police Robert J. Tracy on Tuesday released the Wilmington Police Department’s 2022 Year-End Crime …

Justice

DOJ seeks other victims in Sussex child pornography case

Staff WriterGovernment, Headlines

State prosecutors are seeking help in the case of a Sussex County pastor charged with soliciting child porn. Leonard Eley, 62, the pastor of Storm Shelter Ministries in Laurel, was found with two photos of a naked underage person, said Caroline DeJose, a public information officer for the Delaware Department of Justice. Investigators said Eley paid for the photos of …

Bear man with secret bunker sentenced to 45 years in prison

Drug smuggler with secret bunker in Bear jailed for 45 years

Staff WriterGovernment, Headlines

  A Delaware man who made $1 million from smuggling cocaine and built a secret bunker under his house in Bear was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court to 45 years in prison . Omar Morales Colon, 45, had been convicted of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and various other drug and money laundering offenses. …

Ocean View woman sent to prison for $1.1 million embezzlement

Ocean View woman embezzled $1.1 million from Bethany company

Betsy PriceHeadlines, Police & Fire

An Ocean View woman who embezzled $1.1 million from the business she worked for is headed to federal prison for more than four years. Joan Donald, 55, was sentenced to 51 months on federal wire fraud and evasion charges stemming from embezzlement at high-end interior design and construction company Dovetail Inc. in Bethany Beach. According to court documents and court …